autowriters.comfebruary 2009newsletter

The growing impact of social media brings some good news to auto journalists
impacted by the dwindling print market for their services. It is a combination
of shrinking ad budgets and marketers’ growing awareness that their brands need
a winning personality to succeed. It is a theme that runs through nine of the
top ten social media experts' predictions for 2009 as selected by Max Gladwell
in his blog.
Anne Handley is quoted: ”People who are trained as journalists are specifically
geared to helping companies execute on their 2009 marketing strategy, which is
to become trusted sources of information within their specific industries."

Michael Blumberg says, “Giving high-quality content as a gift with no strings
attached is likely to increase consumer appreciation. I therefore predict that
brands will shy away from ads and toward sponsoring more independent editorial."
Paul Dunay ofBuzz Marketing for Technology
says: “I think you will see more
companies acting like Media companies and even launching their own media
properties based off of blogs, communities, and wikis they set up over the last
few years.”

Gladwell adds: “We’re journalists by trade. The best PR firms have
always recruited journalists, and now marketers are waking up to the value of
using top-notch storytellers to tell their clients’ stories. It’s a tough time
for journalists, so it’s good news that they (we) will play a key role in the
new media revolution, where all companies are media companies." Another aspect of
social media – interconnectivity – raises yet another prospect for the auto
industry. In a January 29 Business Week.com article and interview titled,
“Detroit Should Get Cracking on its Googlemobile,”
Jeff Jarvis, author of What Would Google Do? says “The huge declines in sales
reflect a fundamental disconnect between drivers and Detroit. It's time for a
radical rethinking of the way U.S. automakers do business. ... Car companies
have no good way to listen to customers' ideas. If they had opened up, years
before, I would have been among the legions who'd have gladly told them to
invest 39 cents for a plug-in car radio so we could connect our iPods.”

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Glenn F. Campbell

The auto crisis has spawned at least three major proposals for
communicating what their propounders think people and the
Congress
should hear. One asks for $50
million dollars. Another, a lobbying effort, and the third, advocated in a speech by incoming
NADA chairman John McEleney, asks dealers “to tell state
and national leaders and the public that dealers are an
asset, not a liability.” These sound like communications
models based on the old “fortress” paradigm of the newspaper
city room where editors decided what and how much their
readers should know. The words “listen” and “engagement” are missing from the descriptions of these proposals.

But, they
are not alone in ignoring the reality that the Internet
makes journalists and publishers of us all.

From a Center
for Media Research summary of a survey of 480 marketing
executives, “Senior marketers admit their companies are
failing to take decisive, company-wide action to integrate
customer voice and experience into key business and
marketing processes.” The study underscores critical
deficiencies in the way companies measure, optimize and
leverage customer experience to drive loyalty, improve brand
value and increase business performance and growth.

Chrysler, at least, has initiated a listening program
titled, “Chrysler’s Consumer Advisory Board.” Begun in early
2008 by a company named, “Passenger”, the
CCAB now has a
community of more than 2,000 Chrysler enthusiasts
participating. According to
Passenger executive, Emily Gates, "What’s unique about one
of these communities," she explains, "is that it's less
formularized, less hierarchical if you will, and more of a
two-way back and forth with customers that you can have an
ongoing dialogue with over time, vs. only once.” She adds in
a Behavioral Insider interview: "What we've found," she
says, "is that the people closest to a brand can be the most
vociferous critics of the company. So it's important going
in that brands don't expect sugarcoated comments because
that's not what customer collaboration creates. Fortunately
the most sophisticated brands understand this and encourage
honesty and transparency as the way to yield real insights
and value.”

A Research Brief from MediaPost reports, “according to Deloitte's State of the
Media Democracy survey, three-quarters of Millennials (ages 14 to 25) view the
computer as more of an entertainment device than their television. Ed Moran,
Deloitte director of product innovation, notes that "This (early-adopter)
generation of consumers was the first to be raised on the Internet and is united
across borders and cultures by their digital media preferences, so the
implications for global marketers are unprecedented."

More specific to car
buyers is a study of young car buyers released byAutoPacific and www.vehiclevoice.com. In keeping with their
entry-level status in the work force, members of
Generation Y, not surprisingly, were found to favor less expensive cars but aspire to larger, more sophisticated
and expensive vehicles. . . . Another Research Brief posted January 22nd
predicts online and interactive video will be hot in 2009 with 400 senior-level
decision makers surveyed by Permission TVsaying online video is their top
priority for their digital marketing budgets.

Digital editions of newspapers are gaining readers but they will have to
increase page views dramatically (in the case of the New York Times,
six-fold) to match print revenues which are declining due in no little part to
the switch to online used car sales. Toyota, for one, is showcasing
dealer inventories of its Certified Previously-Owned Vehicles on EBay. In
December, the company’s retail sales operation manager Norm Olson was
quoted: “Most of our advertising and marketing is on the Internet; we have been
almost completely out of print for quite a while--we found that for our product,
interactive is really the way to go."

Which raises the question of who is going to pay for the quality journalism
that attracts eyeballs? For those who missed his Time Magazine cover
story and speech excerpt on The Huffington Post, or interviews on the Daily Show and Colbert Report,
Walter Isaacson has an answer. The president of
TheAspen Institute,
former Time Magazine managing editor and author has revived the micro-payment
solution. Taking into account the long-tail economics of the Internet, he was
quoted Feb 5 in The Huffington Post, “Newspapers who felt their daily output was
worth a dime - - and who readers felt the same way –could end up charging a dime
and thus be more likely to survive and thrive. The people at these papers would
also wake up each morning with the worthy incentive to produce a paper that
people thought was worth at least a dime.”

A slightly different approach is offered by Mitch Ratcliffe in his
lengthy January 19 blog on “The Economics of Great Journalism".
He calculates that it would cost $180,000 in salary, expenses, overhead,
equipment and all for a really good reporter covering a major topic. He sees
people interested in that topic making micro-payments to cover that cost. The
idea of journalists getting paid by their readers instead of advertisers or
media moguls is technically feasible and philosophically appealing but it is
hard to sell when what is available now is free. Worse, as G.B. Shaw
observed, "if people don’t get what they want, they soon want what they get."
And their goes the notion of quality reporting.

Contrary to a published report that major automotive magazine publisher Source
Interlink has dropped its wholesale distribution business that includes more
than 75 magazines, company chairman and CEO Greg Mays said in a letter to its
retail customers that the rumor is part of an attempt “to eliminate competition
in the magazine distribution chain.” He added Source Interlink is, “going to
fight to keep and grow our current magazine distribution business.”
Click this link to read the letter in full:
http://www.foliomag.com/2009/source-interlink-ceo-unprecedented-and-unprovoked-assault-us

And, speaking of magazines,
Wooden Horse reports that the National Directory of
Magazines found there are "16,596 magazines, tabloids, specialized newspapers,
and major journals that carry advertising." Of these 492 are classed as
“Automotive.” And, from another source, “that for every magazine pronounced dead
in 2008, four were born.” That includes one-shots.

When journalists anoint Bob Lutz and others as “Car guys” it credits them with
the first and highest credential in the hierarchy of autodom authenticity. It is
a trait that weaves across station, gender and vocation to unite kindred spirits
in a shared affection or affliction, depending on your point of view.

Bob Golfen

Bob Golfen,
the new and first auto editor of www.SpeedTV.com, has been a car guy since he and his
boyhood friends dreamed about owning the cars they loved and eagerly awaited
each fall’s new models. There were some guys with MGs, Triumphs and
Alfa-Romeos
in the Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up plus an occasional Corvette or
Boss Mustang and he recalls, “I lived vicariously through them." Later, after
graduating Temple University with a degree in Journalism he rebuilt a 1970 MGB,
which he used as a daily driver for years. Considering that the car’s belt line
didn’t come up to the one on his lanky 6’6” frame, he says driving it has
prompted many humorous comments to this day. (He has since rebuilt it a second
time.)

But the hands-on experience didn’t further his ambition to write for a
car magazine, so he took a straight reporting job at the Arizona Republic.
Because he was, “the only gearhead in the newsroom who could write”, he relates,
he was asked to contribute to a new Home and Auto Section the paper was starting in
the mid 80’s. Since then he’s covered the auto industry and transportation for
the paper and he believes he has driven and reviewed just about every new model
car on the road today. Those 20 years of auto writing and continuing passion for
cars (currently he is rebuilding a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000) will be put to good
use in the new SpeedTV.com post.

“What I’m trying to do is provide first-rate automotive news, reviews, stories
and features for a wide range of web visitors, from serious gearheads and
hobbyists to regular consumers. This enhanced coverage includes new-vehicle and
product reviews, up-to-date industry news at this most interesting time, and
event coverage, such as our recent in-depth reporting on the Barrett-Jackson
Collector Car event in Scottsdale. While I am the primary writer and editor, I
am developing partnerships with other auto writers to post on SPEEDtv.com. This
is an ongoing effort that will help build the content available to our visitors.

"Some upcoming features to watch for: a national calendar of major automotive
events; a column for questions about mechanical problems; another column for
questions about new and used vehicles; and an interactive feature for car and
truck hobbyists.

“Most of all, I want the Cars section to be fun and entertaining as well as
informative. I welcome press releases from every automotive source, business and
event." Send them via email to bgolfen@gmail.com or by mail: Bob Golfen,
8514 N. 17th Drive, Phoenix, AZ, 85021.”

From Wooden Horse Newsletterand news releases: . . . FOREVER MX-5 is a
new quarterly that targets Mazda Miata enthusiasts. Content focuses on
road trips, car projects and parts, buying and selling Miatas, and club
events. Jeff Zurschmeide is the editor-in-chief of the magazine, which
is published by MediaSpigot LLC and sold in bookstores and on newsstands
throughout the US... Courtney Caldwell, publisher/editor of Road &
Travel Magazine, announced that her Earthbound Express, Inc. has
launched Earth, Wind Power Blogazine to bring consumers the
latest environmental developments and news on a variety of topics and
tips on what readers can do to reduce their carbon footprint.

Racing World
magazine was inspired by the 2008 opening of the New Jersey Motorsports
Park in Vineland, NJ, but will cover auto and motorcycle racing from New
England to Virginia. It is planned to launch this spring as a free
bimonthly with hopes for a 40,000 issue distribution and cover NASCAR
but also road racing, GT, vintage cars and the accompanying lifestyle,
including coverage of local dining and hotels. Gerald Covella, owner of
New Jersey Angler and Golfstyles New Jersey heads up editorial and
design and is currently seeking funding. Interested writers and
photographers should check out the website at
http://www.racingworldnj.com.

Decades ago Paul Eisenstein christened his automotive news and
feature writing for publications worldwide The Detroit Bureau and
continued that
service while nurturing his pioneering web site The Car Connection.com
for 11 years until he sold it last fall. He has now launchedThe Detroit
Bureau.com. He says the new site does not try to aggregate everything
automotive but will be selective and focus on intelligent and reasoned
commentary on things automotive. While it is a non-paying enterprise at
the moment he has enlisted Joe Szczesny of Michigan’s Oakland Press,
freelancer Mike Strong, environmental writer John DeCicco, Netherlands-based
Henry Hemmes,
marketing specialist Marty Bernstein, spy photographer Brenda Priddy,
commentator Charlie Vogelheim, and others he has heard from to help make it a
success. There have been offers of financial backing and advertising for
the new site Eisenstein reports. However, he says, the main emphasis now
is finding out if they can identify a niche in a heavily saturated
market and provide a good product to fill it.

Driving a golf ball and driving a car seemed to have little in common –
except getting to and from the links - until a company in Dallas, Texas
made the connection between a golf ball’s dimpled exterior and the
ability to drive it a great distance. Max Gladwell.comreports in
a blog titled The Coefficient of FastSkinz, the product is, “a
patent-pending technology that markedly reduces wind drag and therefore
increases efficiency. In a word, it’s cleantech.” With a dimpled
exterior
generating air turbulence much as it does on a golf ball, a car’s wind
drag is less and its fuel efficiency is 18 to 25% more, according to the
company, SkinWraps.

Michael Dobrin

Michael Dobrin will be inducted in the San Francisco Rod,
Custom & Motorcycle Show Hall of Fame. The veteran PR man, whose Bay
Area agency has represented Toyota
in the Northwest for some 20 years, has written about and publicized hot
rods and hot rodding most of his adult life. . . . . The Michigan
Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Michigan International
Speedway
have entered into a partnership to use and market the Brooklyn-based
racetrack and its existing road course to agencies that manufacture and
develop connected vehicle technologies. The partnership will give
automakers and after-market providers the ability to test and develop
connected vehicle systems in a closed, private and neutral environment.
. . . . Michael Karesh says his True Delta web site is the
first to have vehicle reliability results on the 2009 Hyundai Genesis
. . .
www.Speedstylemagazine.com
editor
Bill Moore proudly announces that NHRA driver Ron Capps
will be writing a column for the emagazine.

Shades of old-time radio’s Battling Bickersons in this note from
Brenda Priddy herself: “Spy shooter Brenda Priddy and her ex-husband John
(often referred to as the ex-Mr. Brenda Priddy) have created a new car
review column titled Battle Of The Exes. The spicy and sometimes heated
column is currently debuting at www.LeftLaneNews.com,
but syndication talks are in the works.” . . . Jay Lamm, 24-hour of LeMons impresario, has offered to use his race series for clunkers to
help the bailout of Detroit’s auto makers. He wrote a top man at each
company, “To help you avoid a negative impact on your brands, 24 Hours
of LeMons is offering to obscure your firm's brand identity on all
competing vehicles for $1,000 per race.” He also said he would purchase
any of their new but unpopular models for the $500 limit placed on cars
in his series and obscure their names as well.

Keith Buglewicz most recently with AutobyTel, is hoping that his 15 years
writing about autos will help his freelancing endeavors in what he finds
is a shrinking market. He can be reached at
kbugle@earthlink.net. . . .
Christopher Sawyer writes, “The harshness of the current economic
conditions was made personal on January 6th when I was let go as part of
across-the-board budget cuts at Gardner Publications. Which means that,
after just over eight years as Executive Editor of Automotive Design &
Production magazine, I am out of a job in one of the toughest markets we
have seen for years.” He, too, is looking for work and can be reached at
chrisawyer@att.net or telephone, 248-476-4428.

Edmunds.com has
named Doug Newcomb as a senior technology editor. . . . From Wooden
Horse News of Feb. 8: IndycarSeries Magazine will cease publication,
according to indystar.com. The last print issue was the 2008 Season
Review and the last digital-only issue was the Mid-Winter 2008 Special,
published December 2008...Motorsports Retailer which covered the
motorcycle, ATV, and scooter industry, has gone online only at
www.MotoSportsBusiness.com.
. . .
New show time for the live www.autonetwork.com
is 11:00AM EST.

Yolanda Vazquez of Motorweek won the WAPA Golden Quill Award for her FYI
piece on a Brooklyn, New York high school that trains disadvantaged kids
for automotive technicians jobs. WAPA also presented Golden Gear Awards
to Tom Purves, Automaker; Henrik Fisker, Automotive Design and
Roger Penske, Lifetime Achievement.

Deadline for entries in the 18th
International Automotive Media Competition is March 5. Entry forms and
rules for submissions published or aired between January 1 and December
31 2008 are available from IAMC Executive Director, Elaine C. Haessner
11725 E. Thunderbird Trail, Tucson, AZ 85749. The awards banquet is
scheduled for June 24 in Detroit and Karl Ludvigsen will be honored then
with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Automotive Hall of Fame selected
Gale Banks for a 2009 Distinguished Service Citation.
He joins an
impressive list of honorees that dates back to Ransom Olds in 1940.
Earlier, his first 50 years in the industry were saluted with a Banks
Power exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona,
Calif. . . . . Race fans will get to compete against Daytona Rolex Grand
Am 24-Hour winner David Donohue February 15 (on a Daytona Speedway
simulator) as part of a charity fundraiser at New Jersey Motorsports
Park. . . . A tribute to the late great Mark Donohue and his cars will
be part of the2009 opening weekend festivities at Watkins Glenn
International April25-26. A new biography of Donohue will be released
there and the author, Michael Argetsinger, whose father, Cameron is
credited with bringing road racing to upstate New York and making
Watkins Glen famous, will be on hand to sign the as yet untitled book.

“Speedy” Bill Smith of Speedway Motors will be the eighth recipient of
the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. It will be presented
during the 11th Annual Hotrod and Restoration Trade show in Indianapolis, March
12-14

The 14 regional automotive press associations provide
information and background not easily found elsewhere.
If
they are too distant to attend their meetings, belonging usually
gives you access to transcripts or reports of these events and
other benefits.

“I know there are programmers who write well, and I'm sure there
are writers who program well. But the demands of each discipline
are so great I doubt there will be more than a few who manage to
do both well -- and profitably."

“What a beautiful note.............those of us that have gone
through serious illnesses and surgeries really appreciate all
the prayers and support of our family and friends. And believe
me, it does work. I certainly believe in miracles!Have a great day!"

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